Bellator 209 Results: Patricio Freire Is Great, But True Greatness Is Passing Him By

There was a Bellator installment last night. Actually, Bellator 209 was Thursday, but since it was in Israel, it was taped-delayed and all that jazz. Anyway, guess who headlined the event? That’s right, featherweight champ Patricio Freire, the Pitbull Brother who has pretty much done all there is to do in Bellator, and should have jumped ship ages ago.

Look, Bellator is great. As the number two fight promotion out there, they have a lot to offer fighters – and for Freire, that includes a steady paycheck since 2010, and shiny gold around his waist. And after going the distance with Emmanuel Sanchez last night in a protracted, brutal battle and earning the decision, Freire scored his 16th win in the organization, which is a Bellator record.

But so what?

What else is left for Freire to do that would be truly intriguing? Sure, he’s great a fighter. He’s proven that many times over.

However, true greatness is passing him by. The man has literally achieved all there is to achieve in Bellator. Now he’s just wasting away on cards that hardly anyone watches.

Do you know how podunk this event was? Ryan Couture was in the co-main event against local hero Haim Gozali… and Couture won! And he sucks!

Heck, even Invicta FC and UFC vet Cindy Dandois was on the card, and yet no one cared.

The best case scenario for Freire is for him to get traded to the UFC, where a different featherweight competition pool can challenge him. Heck, Pitbull going to ONE Championship would even be an improvement.

Instead, we’re seeing a badass Brazilian veteran fighter ride out the remainder of his years as a competitive athlete in the dark. And that’s such a shame.